Eating instant oatmeal certainly won't sabotage your plan. I think we're all just responding that "we" prefer the real stuff and it doesn't take that long to cook. But there's certainly no reason that if you find the instant faster and like it oaky that you shouldn't eat it! And thanks Liz for the applesauce and craisins idea! I've used craisins before in oatmeal but not applesauce, though I eat it in other stuff (did you know you could substitute it for the cold water in jello? Get whole different texture and flavor)

Actually, there is the same amount of fiber in both regular and instant oats. They both have 4 grams per cup.

The difference is the amount of processing. Instant oats go through quite a bit more processing - they're chopped, rolled, and steamed in order to cook "instantly." For many people, the non instant stuff sticks around longer.

That said, for breakfast, I mostly have 1 packet flavored instant, 1/3 cup plain instant from bulk, and 1 tbsp of pb. This is because I was able to get it cheaply from Costco, and it keeps me filled all morning.